New Orleans-based oil company Helis wants to drill for natural gas in an area just north of Mandeville. Currently drilling is not allowed there - and that's how people living in that section of the Northshore want to keep it.

But fracking is big business in other parts of the state – specifically in the north Louisiana near Shreveport. Records show more than 2,300 active wells are used to recover natural gas.

And while some say the practice has been profitable, other have major hang-ups about their health and the environment.

On a rural highway about 45 minutes outside of Shreveport in DeSoto Parish near the town of Stonewall, Don Rothermal said his area isn't the same as when he moved in over a decade ago.

"I don't want to live here anymore," said Rothermal.

That's because four years ago a Georgia-based energy company started fracking right across the street from his property.

“When they come out here in the middle of the night to let the compressors off, they just blast. It shakes the house. I moved here for the peace and quiet. It’s why I came out 14 years ago. Then there were cows over there. Now it's compression whistles going off," said Rothermal.

Fracking sites are everywhere in that part of the state, companies are drilling what's known as the Haynesville Shale -- arguably the largest natural gas field in America. It's 10,000 feet below ground.

The heavy fracking started in 2009, and Stonewall resident and activist Kassi Fitzgerald has been an outspoken critic ever since.

Her main concern is the water.

Fracking or hydraulic fracturing requires drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure to fracture shale rocks and release natural gas.

Chemicals are mixed with the water used and Fitzgerald said that is potentially hazardous.

"People only see the paycheck for signature and they need to be a lot more careful then that because the damage that can be done can be permanent - they need to ask for water quality studies before they do it so they see if it damages their water," said Fitzgerald.

Rothermal adds "I'm scared to drink the water sometimes cause i just don't know."

Those are the same concerns echoed by people living in St. Tammany Parish -- the place where Helis Oil wants to start drilling.

While that company is moving forward securing permits from the state, many residents and some elected leaders oppose fracking in that area.

Published reports show that there have been problems with fracking near Shreveport.

At least two explosions have been reported near drilling wells and in 2009. Nearly two dozen cattle were found dead near stonewall.

The animals allegedly drank water filled with potassium chloride, a chemical used to frack.

Charles Hunter and his neighbor Charles Williams live 100 yards away from where the cows were found dead.

"It has caused some serious problems in our area. So it is something to be considered," said Hunter.

But while many people living in this area said fracking operations, such as the one in Stonewall have posed problems, elected leaders say, not so fast.

"It was good for Stonewall and for DeSoto Parish," said Stonewall Mayor Charles Waldon. "I think the majority of people have had no problem with it.”

But even Waldon knows it's not a perfect process.

"There is going to be some human error. You are going to have some problems from time to time - but what I've seen are a minimal amount of problems,” he said.

The American Petroleum Institute supports hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling and what's going on in northwest Louisiana.

That group said it has created hundreds of jobs and millions in revenue, and the group adds that fracking has gotten a bad rap.

John Felmy, Ph.D., is the chief economist at the American Petroleum Institute.

"Hydraulic fracturing has been around for 60 years and it's never been demonstrated to have caused a problem,” he said. “Now other aspects of oil and gas development have to be done correctly -- but not hydraulic fracturing. That's always been demonstrated to have wonderful successes in terms of producing more oil and gas."

But some environmental groups believe the potential problems have yet to surface.

"Consider the long-term ramifications,” said Williams.

People in the area have a warning for those living in St. Tammany Parish.

"Don't sign anything before you before you're really intelligent about it, because it's worse than a marriage. At least with a marriage you have a get out quick clause with a divorce. When you sign these, you are in it for life and can't get a divorce," said Fitzgerald.

NEW ORLEANS-BASED OIL COMPANY HELIS - WANTS TO DRILL 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 FOR NATURAL GAS IN AN AREA JUST NORTH OF MANDEVILLE. RIGHT NOW, DRILLING IS NOT ALLOWED THERE - AND THAT'S HOW PEOPLE LIVING IN THERE WANT TO KEEP IT. STILL - FRACKING IS BIG BUSINESS IN OTHER PARTS OF LOUISIANA. IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE STATE - NEAR SHREVEPORT - RECORDS SHOW THERE ARE MORE THAN 23-HUNDRED ACTIVE WELLS USED TO RECOVER NATURAL GAS. AND WHILE SOME SAY THE PRACTICE HAS BEEN PROFITABLE, OTHERS HAVE MAJOR HANG-UPS ABOUT THEIR HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT. WDSU I-TEAM REPORTER TRAVERS MACKEL TRAVELED TO DESOTO PARISH.. AND HAS MORE ON WHY SOME THERE HAVE "CAUSE FOR CONCERN." ON A RURAL HIGHWAY ABOUT 45 MINUTES OUTSIDE OF SHREVEPORT ... IN RURAL DESOTO PARISH NEAR THE TOWN OF STONEWALL ... DON ROTHERMAL SAYS HIS AREA ISN'T SAME AS WHEN HE MOVED IN OVER A DECADE AGO. I don't want to live here anymore. THAT'S BECAUSE 4 YEARS AGO A GEORGIA BASED ENERGY COMPANY STARTED FRACKING RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM HIS PROPERTY. when they come out here in the middle of the night to let the compressors off, they just blast - it shakes the house. I moved here for the peace and quiet - it's why I came out 14 years ago ..Then their were cows over there now it's compression whistles going off. AND FRACKING SITES ARE EVERYWHERE IN THIS PART OF THE STATE, COMPANIES ARE DRILLING WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE HAYNESVILLE SHALE - ARGUABLE THE LARGEST NATURAL GAS FILED IN AMERICA, IT'S 10,000 FEET BELOW GROUND. THE HEAVY FRACKING STARTED IN 2009 AND STONEWALL RESIDENT AND ACTIVIST KASSI FITZGERALD HAS BEEN AN OUTSPOKEN CRITIC EVER SINCE. Nats - Kassi HER MAIN CONCERN ... THE WATER. FRACKING OR HYDRAULIC FRACTURING REQUIRES DRILLING AND INJECTING FLUID INTO THE GROUND AT A HIGH PRESSURE IN ORDER TO FRACTURE SHALE ROCKS AND RELEASE NATURAL GAS. CHEMICALS ARE MIXED WITH THE WATER USED AND FITZGERALD SAYS THAT IS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS. people only see the paycheck for signature and they need to be a lot more careful then that because the damage that can be done can be permanent - they need to ask for water quality studies before they do it so they see if it damages their water. im scared to drink the water sometimes cause I just don't know. Nats - Northshore THOSE ARE THE SAME CONCERNS ECHOED BY PEOPLE LIVING IN ST. TAMMANY PARISH - THE PLACE WHERE HELIS OIL WANTS TO START DRILLING. WHILE THAT COMPANY IS MOVING FORWARD SECURING PERMITS FROM THE STATE - MANY RESIDENTS AND SOME ELECTED LEADERS OPPOSE FRACKING IN THAT AREA. SOT FROM LATONYA STORY 6/21 5 PM AND PUBLISHED REPORTS SHOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS WITH FRACKING NEAR SHREVEPORT. AT LEAST TWO EXPLOSIONS HAVE BEEN REPORTED NEAR DRILLING WELLS AND IN 2009, NEARLY TWO DOZEN CATTLE WERE FOUND DEAD NEAR STONEWALL. THE ANIMALS ALLEGEDLY DRANK WATER FILLED WITH POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, A CHEMICAL USED TO FRACK. Nats - Charles and Charles CHARLES HUNTER AND HIS NEIGHBOR CHARLES WILLIAMS LIVE 100 YARDS AWAY FROM WHERE THE COWS WERE FOUND DEAD. it has caused some serious problems in out area so it is something to be considered. is fracking good or bad for your community? It's bad. but while many people living in this area say fracking operations - like this one in stonewall - have posed problems, elected leaders here say, not so fast. was fracking good or bad for stonewall? It was good for stonewall and for desoto parish. CHARLES WALDON IS THE MAYOR OF STONEWALL. i think the majority of people have had no problem with it. BUT EVEN MAYOR WALDON KNOWS, IT'S NOT A PERFECT PROCESS. there is gonna be some human error - you are gonna have some problems from time to time - but what i've seen are a minimal amount of problems. THE AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE SUPPORTS HYDRYAULIC FRACTURING AND HORIZONTAL DRILLING AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN NORTHWEST LOUISIANA. THAT GROUP SAYS IT'S CREATED HUNDREDS OF JOBS AND MILLIONS IN REVENUE - AND ADDS FRACKING HAS GOTTEN A BAD RAP. DR. JOHN FELMY, IS THE CHIEF ECONOMIST AT THE AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE. 00:29 hydraulic fracturing has been around for 60 years.. and it's never been demonstrated to have caused a problem..now other aspects of oil and gas development have to be done correctly. But not hydraulic fracturing. That's always been demonstrated to have wonderful successes in terms of producing more oil and gas.46 BUT SOME ENVIORNMENTAL GROUPS BELIEVE THE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS HAVE YET TO SURFACE. consider the long-term ramifications. AND PEOPLE HERE HAVE A WARNING FOR THOSE IN ST. TAMMANY PARISH. don't let them control it. don't sign anything before you before you're really intelligent about it - cause it's worse then a marriage - at least with a marriage you have a get out quick clause with a divorce - when you sign these you are in it for life and can't get a divorce. AND SCOTT PEOPLE LIVING IN THAT PART OF THE STATE HAVE GROWN ACCUSTOMED TO FRACKING - - WE SHOULD POINT OUT THAT IT'S NOT UP TO PARISH LEADERS TO GRANT ANY PERMITS ... IT'S UP TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES FOR THE STATE. TRAVERS - WHAT ABOUT THE JOBS WE HEAR ABOUT, IT'S SUPPOSE TO BE A BOOM TO THE NORTHSHORE ECONOMY, WILL IT BE? WHAT WE FOUND IN NORTHWEST LOUISIANA IS INTERESTING - YES, JOBS CAME TO THAT AREA - BUT FOR HOW LONG? AND WHAT KIND OF WORK? WE'LL HAVE MORE ON THAT PART OF THIS STORY TOMORROW NIGHT AT TEN. HAPPENING TOMORROW... FORMER NEW ORLEANS MAYOR